Pedal Power: 5 Best Bike Paths In Virginia Beach

Away from the clamor and vivacity of Virginia Beach lies the sparkling waters of Cape Henry in First Landing State Park. The hiking and biking trail that runs along the shore of Cape Henry Trail stretches for approximately seven and a half miles. As you bike along, you’ll notice that the trail is fairly organic, having been created and improved over the decades by fellow bikers and avid hikers speeding and stamping along. Made of crushed stone, gravel and sand, the trail is lined with natural Spanish moss and filled with the serene sounds of birds chirping and water flowing – not a concrete slab in sight. Virginia Beach Boardwalk | © Bob/Flickr

If you like to bike where there’s lively crowds and plenty of beachgoers, head straight on over to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. A bike path runs alongside the 28 meter-wide main boardwalk, meaning cyclists get all the great views and atmosphere of the boardwalk, without having to worry about meandering pedestrians! Virgina Beach Boardwalk is where you’ll find the largest collection of rental bike vendors in one single place, all running perpendicular to the beach and sparkling blue Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most popular bike trails in the state, despite being only 3 miles along, due to its ideal terrain and fun-filled locality. The things you’ll see along the way more than makes up for the short distance – there’s plenty of shops, restaurants, musical entertainment and King Neptune, the twenty-four foot, twelve-ton bronze statue that stands at the gateway to Neptune Festival Park.

The Dam Neck Road Trail is one of most underrated biking trails in Virginia Beach, and also one of the longest. At just under eight miles of undisturbed biking along the busy Dam Neck Road, you’ll be removed from the shoreline but close to the countryside, in the heart of the city. Made of asphalt and concrete to ensure an incredibly smooth ride, you can also rent skates or skateboards and race your friends down this quiet and spacious roadside path.

For a biking experience that is more like a wild safari outdoor adventure, head to False Cape State Park. It rests just over four miles from Virginia Beach and can only be accessed by biking, kayaking, or taking a shuttle. Its abundance of hiking trails run along the soft, finely milled sand of the shoreline, so mountain bikes are most suitable for this terrain. False Cape is one of handful of places in the state of Virginia where you’ll find animals like snakes, turtles, sea rays, dolphins, and deer. Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (VA) | © U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region/Flickr

The Dismal Swamp Canal Trail has a misleading name because, while it is certainly not dismal, it does run the circumference of a murky, atmospheric lake. The access point of this trail is in Chesapeake County, but the almost nine mile length that it runs just barely hits the edge of Virginia Beach. There’s also another access point one state over, in North Carolina, where it grazes the border and shares the namesake swamp. Come here for a wide, flat-paved pathway where you can leisurely ride your bike amidst the hum of insects and chirrups of songbirds.